how we do

This is perfect. We didn't have enough noise in our house.

I shared my secret cheese & caramel popcorn with this guy because he calls me Queen. And he says things to me like, "Have a nice day cutie!"

Dan and I took an afternoon, hired a babysitter and spent a few hours down at the beach. We found a spot that I didn't think looked big enough for the van but Dan said I could totally fit. Between the backup camera and Dan guiding me from the front, we squeezed in. It looks like my back bumper is touching the car behind me but there's an inch between us so he totally had enough room to get out. I'm kidding. There was no one behind him. Just a red curb. Common, this is so impressive. Unfortunately, this is the only pic I got of our afternoon out. It was lovely though.

"Mom, what planet are we on?"

 

Perks of COVID, you can wear a swat costume to school every day.

 

Mya had a relaxing day in mind. First, she took a bath in my bathroom with peaceful music on. Then she brought her painting supplies outside, including a Kindle for music. Not long after that, her little siblings joined her and asked her questions, shook her chair, and Winter put a walkie talkie near her and sang annoying made-up rap songs loudly from in the house. Mya hates rap.

Heard around here lately:

Me: Next time you guys ask for a granola bar, the answer is going to be no because you left the wrappers on the table again.

Addie - Well I just hope you forget that.

(And I did)

Addie: God created the whole university!

Angus: Yep

Angus: Mom where do T-rexes live?

Me: They’re dead

Angus: You mean extinct 

(I feel like that was a setup to make him sound smarter than me)

Things that are bringing me joy:

1. The Instagram account 'livefromsnacktime." It's just funny quotes from kids. I love a good kid quote, obviously.

2. The new Taylor Swift CD playing in an old school boom box (purchased off of eBay) in my room with the door closed while I fold laundry. I use the word 'fold' loosely. I just sort them in piles and throw them in drawers.

3. The Caro Emerald station on Pandora. Just give it a listen and you'll know what I mean.

4. My mom and my sister Wendy and I have an ongoing Marco Polo chat. If you don't know what Marco Polo is, it's a video message app. I highly recommend it if you want to stay in communication with loved ones in other time zones or different schedules. Wendy and mom and I video message each other back and forth multiple times a day and it really is one of my favorite things these days, especially since I haven't seen mom in person since March. 

5. I watched Away on Netflix with Hillary Swank. It was REALLY good. It was like a movie. A good movie. Slightly stressful but very well done. 

Things that are not bringing me joy:

 An earthquake at 11:38PM. I grabbed on to Dan's arm and burst into tears yelling earrrrthquaaaaake!! Dan was sweet and told me it was okay and then made sure I knew how to shut off the gas in case he's at work and there's a gas leak. Normally I don't think I would freak out over a medium-sized earthquake. I've been through some big ones in my day. But right now after everything we've been through and waiting for things to get better as they continue to get worse, I'm in a fragile emotional state. I was prepared for the end of the world when the room started shaking. 

But today was a great day. We drove up to church and noticed a very blue sky and deer grazing on the property. Then I dropped kids off at kid's church for the first time in 6 months. It might not be the end of the world yet.

 

smoke

Angus: I mustache you a question Addie... I love you.

Addie: Ugh that's not a question.

Dan's been on a strike team working on the Bobcat fire since Monday. And although I'm sure he has it worse than us, breathing in smoke all day, sleeping on a cot in a high school gym at night, eating snacks when he can and missing his wife and kids, it's been almost as rough here too. Kidding, but we haven't been able to go outside because of the smoke. No mini pool, no walks, no bike rides around the block, no picnics by the mailbox. The kids are bouncing off the walls and I'm more impatient with them than I've ever been. I'm so sick of being in my lovely amazing home with my healthy wonderful blessings. I got so desperate Thursday that I drove around with the kids to four different fast food establishments getting the best stuff from each place. We got onion rings from the Habit, kids meals from Chick-Fil-A, quesadillas from Taco Bell and fries and ice cream from McDonalds. It killed an hour and got us out of the house. 

Sending us a Marco Polo video.

Friday I asked Mari if we could come down and pay our beach fam a visit and get out of the smoke. She always says yes. The kids and I piled in the car after online school got out and headed down south. As the smokey haze started to clear I felt tons better. We got out of the car and I breathed in fresh beachy air and appreciated it probably more than I ever have in my life. 

This year has taught us so much about being thankful for the little things we take for granted hasn't it? Just plain fresh air is a blessing.

If you've never been to the beach with kids, it's all about the beach snacks. They don't even ask me for snacks anymore. They go straight to Mari for the good stuff.

Winter and Mya fought over who was going to hang out with baby Nelly.

Action shot of Winter not noticing Nelly eating a mouthful of sand.

We got a little beach bike workout.

And then back home to sit in the tubs of warm water.

We went garage sale-ing in the morning and I found this globe. I'm SO excited I can't even tell you. I've always wanted one of these things. I showed the kids all the places they've heard of, places Dan and I have been, and even where Santa lives.

And then to the beach again for round two. 11 kids and 3 grown ups. (We picked up a neighbor kid too) 😊

And more beach snacks.

It was just what we all needed. Now I'm all refreshed and ready to do online school this week. Praying they let Dan come home soon... It's our anniversary tomorrow. 12 years. I always remember the number by saying Mya plus one. 

Happy Anniversary Honey! There's no one else I'd be able to do bonkers 2020 life with 💓

azusa is the new palm springs

As I sit down to write this, it's 115 degrees outside. Doesn't that sound like an exaggeration? Remember when we were in a pandemic and it was only 75 degrees outside and we weren't online schooling our children? I miss those days. 

Heard around the house lately:

Dan: Addie, you have to communicate WITHOUT SCREAMING.
Addie: (Angrily) Well I was born to yell!!

Dan: Angus! Why is there honey on my arm?

Angus: (Crying) Moooom! I was smelling winters butt and she farted in my face!

Angus: Mom, humans with no legs or feet have to roll.

Me: I’ll be done in 20 minutes.

Angus: Ok I’ll just sit here and count.

School started!

Annual 1st day of school neighborhood pic.

This is Mya taking her student ID pic. With no pants on.

Angus is liking school so far even though it's exhausting.

Mya turned 11!

New PJs...

And a new tee.

I told Mya she could stay up late on her birthday. 

Mya: What am I going to do? 

Me: I don't know, watch a show on the kindle or something.

Mya: But I heard being on electronics before bed damages your nighttime sleep. Are you sure that's a good idea?

Her hair is getting crazy long.

Dan and I attended a wedding recently. One of my top 10 favorite small pleasures in life is taking photos in photo booths.

The kids still play dress-up pretty often...

Addie always dresses up as "mixed-up girl."

Angus was mad at Winter so he hid her cage on the very top of the entertainment center. No idea how he was able to do it without killing himself.

As soon as we get back from anywhere, Angus removes his pants. 

Dan told Angus that he's soon going to be the man of the house when dad is away. He's going to grow big and strong and be the protector of his sisters. Angus has taken that and run with it. When the girls freak out when there's a tiny spider in the house, Angus comes over and says, "I'll handle it." And then he squishes it with a shoe. When I comment that there's a spill on the table, Angus says, I'll handle it mom." Then wipes it up. Normally the girls roll their eyes when he reminds them that he's going to be their protector one day, but they appreciate it when he kills spiders for them.

We've been attending church outside. The kids prefer watching the online version on the couch so they can watch the sermon in their underwear and sneak a nap in. We watched online today since it was so hot and Dan is sensitive to heat... He's probably in the wrong profession.

I wasn't really paying attention to how much money they were putting in for offering. Winter brought her wallet so I assumed they gave a few dollars. I received a donation receipt via email for each kid. Winter gave $1.25. Addie gave $1.50. Angus gave a nickel. The email read, "Thank you for your donation. Angus Wagenbrenner: $.05."

He LOVES coins though so it was a big deal for him to part with one. And I'm sure Jesus appreciates his gift.

"Otter loves having her belly rubbed like this mom."

FaceTime conversation. 

James: Angus! Can you come to ma house tomorrow? 

Angus: Okay James. Wanna see my truck? 

That was pretty much the whole conversation repeated about 10 times.

 I've started making the kids do chores when they display unacceptable behavior. Addie and Winter always bank on the fact that I'll forget, as I often do. Angus always reminds me about his though. I made him pick up leaves in the backyard for not responding to his teacher and slumping down in his chair below the screen during his morning zoom. 

Helping with dinner.

It was Winter's turn to go away for the night with mom. Mari's family was away so we headed down to her house by the beach and had some mom & daughter time. It was so lovely. Especially since it was in the hundreds in Azusa. 

I have a few recommendations this week.

Balsamic glaze is something new that I've discovered. Dan bought it for Caprese salad appetizers but I put it on pizza mostly. Trader Joe's has a few different frozen veggie pizzas I like. This just takes them up a giant notch.

This is currently my favorite cheese at TJ's right now. Cheese and cracker plates have become my normal dinner when Dan is working.

This brand of sweet potato fries is excellent. They are pretty close to restaurant quality. You can find them in the freezer section at the grocery store. I get them at Vons.

I bought this book a while ago and am just now starting to read it. I love it. It's a devotional that includes bible verses and paintings. It's just really pretty to look at and always gives me a peaceful feeling when I read it. You can get it on Amazon.

If you're a lady, these are your new favorite PJ's (or uniform if you're like me). If you're a dude you probably just sleep in your boxers. Click here to check them out at Target.com. They are the most comfy things I've ever worn.

Happy hotter than hades Sunday!